Friday, November 22nd

Much of the discussion of the possible “threat” the rise of China poses to the modern western world is based on comparisons and assumptions that may have little application. A broad historical view of China’s role in the pre-modern world system can help to show that far from being a dangerous newly-risen power such as Japan and Germany in the 20th century, China has a long history of global economic dominance that is often unconnected to military adventures or imperialism.

Presented By: Robert Cliver is a historian of modern China with more than twenty years experience. He earned his PhD from Harvard University in 2007. He has taught history at Humboldt State University for six years.

All are welcome to attend this week's seminar. Dr. Jill Helms, of Stanford University, will present, "Translating development discoveries into stem cell therapies."

Dr. Helms’s lab has a long-standing interest in embryonic tissue development and adult tissue regeneration, with an emphasis on neural crest stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

Stem cells in adult tissues can potentially be used to regenerate damaged or diseased tissues. In her lab, one of the goals is to understand the regulatory pathways that control stem cell self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation. They have focused on two signaling pathways whose activities seem to be an essential feature of tissue healing.

Dr. Helms’s lab also studies craniofacial development. The long-term goal of Dr. Helms’s work with craniofacial morphogenesis is to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating normal and abnormal craniofacial development. Her lab uses a variety of animal models and approaches (genetic approaches, experimental manipulation of embryos) to understand how the face is patterned.

Dr. Helms reviews manuscripts for leading journals such as Nature, Science, and Development and reviews grants for the NIH, NASA, March of Dimes, and a number of other non-profit organizations. She is President of the American Society of Craniofacial Genetics. She also is an active teacher in both craniofacial and stem cell biology at Stanford.